ClubmakersHarry B SimpsonLytham/Norbreck etc
Harry’s elder brother, Tom took over from George Lowe at Lytham St Annes in 1905 and, in a symmetry of sorts, Harry replaced Lowe as professional at St Anne’s Old Links in 1911.

Born in Ganton in 1885 and, like his brother, he learned his skills from Harry Vardon. His professional career began in Manchester, at the Anson club, before he moved briefly to Warrington in 1905 and then joined his brother at Lytham. ‘On his day the younger Simpson can do brilliant things’, thought the Manchester Courier at that time and, indeed, he put in a fine performance to finish third in the 1914 Open Championship four shots behind his old mentor. He used that same newspaper to announce his availability after leaving the Ashton-on-Ribble club’s employ in April 1909 after a season ‘owing to a reduction in expenditure’.

He was not without work for long, being signed up by the Fairhaven club in August of that year, at the time Fairhaven, fearful of the course being developed for housing, was making a membership arrangement with Old Links which no doubt eased Simpson’s appointment as professional to the latter club in 1911.

In 1928 he became professional to the Norbreck club at the Hydropathic Hotel in Blackpool and remained in post until the club closed sometime in the mid-1960s when he was around 80 years of age.